gainst proud Tamburlaine Freend Sigismond and peeres of Hungary Come banquet and carouse with vs a while And then depart we to our territories Exeunt Actus 1. Scaena 3. Callapine with Almeda his keeper Callap. SWeet Almeda pity the ruthfull plight Of Callapine the sonne of Baiazeth Born to be Monarch of the Western world Yet here detain'd by cruell Tamburlaine Alm. My Lord I pitie it and with my heart With your release but he whose wrath is death My soueraigue Lord renowmed tamburlain Forbids you further liberty than this Cal. Ah were I now but halfe so eloquent To paint in woords what I le perfourme in deeds I know thou wouldst depart from hence with me Al. Not for all Affrike therefore mooue me not Cal. Yet heare me speake my gentle Almeda Al. No speach to that end by your fauour sir Cal. By Cario runs Al. No talke of running I tell you sir Cal. A litle further gentle Almeda Al. Wel sir what of this Cal. By Cario runs to Alexandria Bay Darotes streames wherin at anchor lies A Turkish Gally of my royall fleet Waiting my comming to the riuer side Hoping by some means I shall be releast Which when I come aboord will hoist vp saile And soon put foorth into the Terrene sea Where twixt the Isles of Cyprus and of Creete We quickly may in Turkish seas arriue Then shalt thou see a hundred kings and more Vpon their knees all bid me welcome home Amongst so many crownes of burnisht gold Choose which thou wilt all are at thy command A thousand Gallies mann'd with Christian slaues I freely giue thee which shall cut the straights And bring Armados from the coasts of Spaine Fraughted with golde of rich America The Grecian virgins shall attend on thee Skilful in musicke and in amorous laies As faire as was Pigmalions Iuory gyrle Or louely Io metamorphosed With naked Negros shall thy coach be drawen And as thou rid'st in triumph through the streets The pauement vnderneath thy chariot wheels With Turky Carpets shall be couered And cloath of Arras hung about the walles Fit obiects for thy princely eie to pierce A hundred Bassoes cloath'd in crimson silk Shall ride before the on Barbarian Steeds And when thou goest a golden Canapie Enchac'd with pretious stones which shine as bright As that faire vail that couers all the world When Phoebus leaning from his Hemi-Spheare Discendeth downward to th' Antipodes And more than this for all I cannot tell Alm. How far hence lies the Galley say you Cal. Sweet Almeda scarse halfe a league from hence Alm. But need we not be spied going aboord Cal. Betwixt the hollow hanging of a hill And crooked bending of a craggy rock The sailes wrapt vp the mast and tacklings downe She lies so close that none can find her out Alm. I like that well but tel me my Lord if I should let you goe would you bee as good as your word Shall I be made a king for my labour Cal. As I am Callapine the Emperour And by the hand of Mahomet I sweare Thou shalt be crown'd a king and be my mate Alm. Then here I sweare as I am Almeda Your Keeper vnder Tamburlaine the great For that 's the style and tytle I haue yet Although he sent a thousand armed men To intercept this haughty enterprize Yet would I venture to conduct your Grace And die before I brought you backe again Cal. Thanks gentle Almeda then let vs haste Least time be past and lingring let vs both Al. When you will my Lord I am ready Cal. Euen straight and farewell cursed Tamburlaine Now goe I to reuenge my fathers death Exeunt Actus 1. Scaena 4. Tamburlaine with zenocrate and his three sonnes Calyphas Amyras and Celebinus with drummes and trumpets Tamb. NOw bright zenocrate the worlds faire eie Whose beames illuminate the lamps of heauē Whose chearful looks do cleare the clowdy aire And cloath it in a christall liuerie Now rest thee here on faire Larissa Plaines Where Egypt and the Turkish Empire parts Betweene thy sons that shall be Emperours And euery one Commander of a world zen. Sweet tamburlain when wilt thou leaue these armes And saue thy sacred person free from scathe And dangerous chances of the wrathfull war Tam. When heauen shal cease to mooue on both the poles when the ground wheron my souldiers march Shal rise aloft and touch the horned Moon And not before my sweet zenocrate Sit vp and rest thee like a louely Queene So now she sits in pompe and maiestie When these my sonnes more precious in mine eies Than all the wealthy kingdomes I subdewed Plac'd by her side looke on their mothers face But yet me thinks their looks are amorous Not martiall as the sons of Tamburlaine Water and ayre being simbolisde in one Argue their want of courage and of wit Their haire as white as milke and soft as Downe Which should be like the quilles of Porcupines As blacke as Ieat and hard as Iron or steel Bewraies they are too dainty for the wars Their fingers made to quauer on a Lute Their armes to hang about a Ladies necke Their legs to dance and caper in the aire Would make me thinke them Bastards not my sons But that I know they issued from thy wombe That neuer look'd on man but Tamburlaine zen My gratious Lord they haue their mothers looks But whē they list their cōquering fathers hart This louely boy the yongest of the three Not long agoe bestrid a Scythian Steed Trotting the ring and tilting at a gloue Which when he tainted with his slender rod He raign'd him straight and made him so curuet As I cried out for feare he should haue falne Tam. Wel done my boy thou shalt haue shield and lance Armour of proofe horse helme Cuttle-axe And I will teach thee how to charge thy foe And harmelesse run among the deadly pikes If thou wilt loue the warres and follow me Thou shalt be made a King and raigne with me Keeping in yron cages Emperours If thou exceed thy elder Brothers worth And shine in compleat vertue more than they Thou shalt be king before them and thy seed Shall issue crowned from their mothers wombe Cel. Yes father you shal see me if I liue Haue vnder me as many kings as you And martch with such a multitude of men As all the world shall tremble at their view tam. These words assure me boy thou art my sonne When I am old and cannot mannage armes Be thou the scourge and terrour of the world Amy. Why may not I my Lord as wel as he Be tearm'd the scourge and terrour of the world tam. Be al a scourge and terror to the world Or els you are not sons of Tamburlaine Cal. But while my brothers follow armes my lord Let me accompany my gratious mother They are enough to conquer all the world And you haue won enough for me to keep tam. Bastardly boy sprong frō some cowards lions And not the issue
are wrought with beaten golde Their swords enameld and about their neckes Hangs massie chaines of golde downe to the waste In euery part exceeding braue and rich Tam. Then shall we fight couragiously with them Or looke you I should play the Orator Tech. No cowards and fainthearted runawaies Looke for orations when the foe is neere Our swordes shall play the Orators for vs Vsum. Come let vs meet them at the mountain foot And with a sodaine and an hot alarme Driue all their horses headlong down the hill Tech. Come let vs martch Tam. Stay Techelles aske a parlee first The Souldiers enter Open the Males yet guard the treasure sure Lay out our golden wedges to the view That their reflexions may amaze the Perseans And looke we friendly on them when they come But if they offer word or violence Wee le fight fiue hundred men at armes to one Before we part with our possession And gainst the Generall we will lift our swords And either lanch his greedy thirsting throat Or take him prisoner and his chaine shall serue For Manackles till he be ransom'd home Tech, I heare them come shal we encounter them Tam. Keep all your standings and not stir a foote My selfe will bide the danger of the brunt Enter Theridamas with others Ther. Where is this Scythian Tamberlaine Tam. Whō seekst thou Persean I am Taburlain Ther. Tamburlaine A Scythian Shepheard so imbellished With Natures pride and richest furniture His looks do menace heauen and dare the Gods His fierie eies are fixt vpon the earth As if he now deuis'd some Stratageme Or meant to pierce Auernas darksome vaults To pull the triple headed dog from hell tamb. Noble and milde this Persean seemes to be If outward habit iudge the inward man tech. His deep affections make him passionate tamb. With what a maiesty he rears his looks In thee thou valiant man of Persea I see the folly of thy Emperour Art thou but Captaine of a thousand horse That vy Characters grauen in thy browes And by thy martiall face and stout aspect Deseru'st to haue the leading of an hoste Forsake thy king and do but ioine with me And we will triumph ouer all the world I hold the Fates bound fast in yron chaines And with my hand turne Fortunes wheel about And sooner shall the Sun fall from his Spheare Than Tamburlaine be slaine or ouercome Draw foorth thy sword thou mighty man at Armes Intending but to rase my charmed skin And Ioue himselfe will stretch his hand from heauen To ward the blow and shield me safe from harme See how he raines down heaps of gold in showers As if he meant to giue my Souldiers pay And as a sure and grounded argument That I shall be the Monark of the East He sends this Sculdans daughter rich and braue To be my Queen and portly Emperesse If thou wilt stay with me renowmed man And lead thy thousand horse with my conduct Besides thy share of this Egyptian prise Those thousand horse shall sweat with martiall spoile Of conquered kingdomes and of Cities sackt Both we wil walke vpon the lofty clifts And Christian Merchants that with Russian stems Plow vp huge furrowes in the Caspian sea Shall vaile to vs as Lords of all the Lake Both we will raigne as Consuls of the earth And mightie kings shall be our Senators Ioue sometime masked in a Shepheards weed And by those steps that he hath scal'd the heauens May we become immortall like the Gods Ioine with me now in this my meane estate I cal it meane because being yet obscure The Nations far remoou'd admyre me not And when my name and honor shall be spread As far as Boreas claps his brazen wings Or faire Botëes sends his cheerefull light Then shalt thou be Competitor with me And sit with Tambulaine in all his maiestie Ther. Not Hermes Prolocutor to the Gods Could vse perswasions more patheticall Tam. Nor are Apollos Oracles more true Then thou shalt find my vaunts substantiall Tec. We are his friends and if the Persean king Should offer present Duke domes to our state We thinke it losse to make exchange for that We are assured of by our friends successe Vsum. And kingdomes at the least we all expect Befides the honor in assured conquestes Where kings shall crouch vnto our conquering swords And hostes of souldiers stand amaz'd at vs When with their fearfull tongues they shall cenfesse Theise are the men that all the world admires Ther. What stronge enchantments tice my yeelding soule Are these resolued noble Scythians But shall I prooue a Traitor to my King Tam. No but the trustie friend of Tamburlaine Ther. Won with thy words conquered with thy looks I yeeld my selfe my men horse to thee To be partaker of thy good or ill As long as life maintaines Theridamas Tam. Theridamas my friend take here my hand Which is as much as if I swore by heauen And calld' the Gods to witnesse of my vow Thus shall my heart be still combinde with thine Vntill our bodies turne to Elements And both our soules aspire celestiall thrones Techelles and Casane welcome him Tech. Welcome renowmed Persean to vs all Cas. Long may theridamas remaine with vs Tam. These are my friends in whō I more reioice Than dooth the King of Persea in his Crowne And by the loue of Pyllades and Orestes Whose statutes we adore in Scythia Thy selfe and them shall neuer part from me Before I crowne you kings in Asia Make much of them gentle Theridamas And they will neuer leaue thee till the death ther. Nor thee nor them thrice noble Tamburlain Shal want my heart to be with gladnes pierc'd To do you honor and securitie Tam. A thousand thankes worthy theridamas And now faire Madam and my noble Lords If you will willingly remaine with me You shall haue herors as your merits be Or els you shall be forc'd with slauerie Agid. We yeeld vnto thee happie Tamburlaine tamb. For you then Maddam I am out of doubt Zeno. I must be pleasde perforce wretched Zenocrate Exeunt Actus 2. Scaena 1. Cosroe Menaphon Ortygius Ceneus with other Souldiers Cosroe THus farre are we towards Theridamas And valiant Tamburlaine the man of fame The man that in the forhead of his fortune Beares figures of renowne and myracle But tell me that hast seene him Menaphon What stature wields he and what personage Mena. Of stature tall and straightly fashioned Like his desire lift vpwards and diuine Sa large of lims his ioints so strongly knit Such breadth of shoulders as might mainely beare Olde Atlas burthen twixt his manly pitch A pearle more worth then all the world is plaste Wherein by curious soueraintie of Art Are fixt his piercing instruments of sight Whose fiery cyrcles beare encompassed A heauen of heauenly bodies in their Spheares That guides his steps and actions to the throne Where honor sits inuested royally Pale of complexion wrought in him with passion Thirsting with souerainty with loue
of armes His lofty browes in foldes do figure death And in their smoothnesse amitie and life About them hangs a knot of Amber heire Wrapped in curles as fierce Achilles was On which the breath of heauen delights to play Making it daunce with wanton maiestie His armes and singers long and snowy Betokening valour and excesse of strength In euery part proportioned like the man Should make the world subdued to Tamburlaine Cos Wel hast thou pourtraid in thy tearms of life The face and personage of a woondrous man Nature doth striue with Fortune and his stars To make him famous in accomplisht woorth And well his merits show him to be made His Fortunes maister and the king of men That could perswade at such a sodaine pinch With reasons of his valour and his life A thousand sworne and ouermatching foes Then when our powers in points of swords are ioin'd And closde in compasse of the killing bullet Though straight the passage and the port be made That leads to Pallace of my brothers life Proud is his fortune if we pierce it not And when the princely Persean Diadem Shall ouerway his wearie witlesse head And fall like mellowed fruit with shakes of death In faire Persea noble tamburlaine Shall be my Regent and remaine as King Ort. In happy hower we haue set the Crowne Vpon your kingly head that seeks our honor In ioyning with the man ordain'd by heauen To further euery action to the best Cen. He that with Shepheards and a litle spoile Durst in disdaine of wrong and tyrannie Defend his freedome gainst a Monarchie What will he doe supported by a king Leading a troope of Gentlemen and Lords And stuft with trasure for his highest thoughts Cos. And such shall wait on worthy Tamburlaine Our army will be forty thousand strong When Tamburlain and braue Theridamas Haue met vs by the riuer Araris And all conioin'd to meet the witlesse King That now is marching neer to Parthia And with vnwilling souldiers faintly arm'd To seeke reuenge on me and Tamburlaine To whom sweet Menaphon direct me straight Mena. I will my Lord Exeunt Act. 2. Scaena 2 Mycetes Meander with other Lords and Souldiers Mycetes COme my Meander let vs to this geere I tel you true my heart is swolne with wrath On this same theeuish villaine tamburlaine And of that false Cosroe my traiterous brother Would it not grieue a King to be so abusde And haue a thousand horsmen tane away And which is worst to haue his Diadem Sought for by such scalde knaues as loue him net I thinke it would wel then by heauens I sweare Aurora shall not peepe out of her doores But I will haue Cosroe by the head And kill proud Tamburlaine with point of sword Tell you the rest Meander I haue said Mean Then hauing past Armenian desarts now And pitch our tents vnder the Georgean hilles Whose tops are couered with Tartarian thieues That lie in ambush waiting for a pray What should we doe but bid them battaile straight And rid the world of those detested troopes Least if we let them lynger here a while They gather strength by power of fresh supplies This countrie swarmes with vile outragious men That liue by rapine and by lawlesse spoile Fit Souldiers for the wicked Tamburlaine And he that could with giftes and promises Inueigle him that lead a thousand horse And make him false his faith vnto his King Will quickly win such as are like himselfe Therefore cheere vp your mindes prepare to fight He that can take or slaughter tamburlaine Shall rule the Prouince of Albania Who brings that Traitors head theridamas Shal haue a gouernment in Medea Beside the spoile of him and all his traine But if Cosroe as our Spials say And as we know remaines with tamburlaine His Highnesse pleasure is that he should liue And be reclaim'd with princely lenitie A Spy An hundred horsmen of my company Scowting abroad vpon these champion plaines Haue view'd the army of the Scythians Which make reports it far exceeds the Kings Mean Suppose they be in number infinit Yet being void of Martiall discipline All running headlong after greedy spoiles And more regarding gaine than victory Like to the cruell brothers of the earth Sprong of the teeth of Dragons venomous Their carelesse swords shal lanch their fellowes threats And make vs triumph in their ouerthrow Myc. Was there such brethren sweet Meander say That sprong of teeth of Dragons venomous Meand. So Poets say my Lord Myce. And t is a prety toy to be a Poet Wel wel Meander thou art deeply read And hauing thee I haue a iewell sure Go en my Lord and giue your charge I say Thy wit will make vs Conquerors to day Mean Then noble souldiors to intrap these theeues That liue confounded in disordered troopes If wealth or riches may preuaile with them We haue our Cammels laden all with gold Which you that be but common souldiers Shall fling in euery corner of the field And while the base borne Tartars take it vp You fighting more for honor than for gold Shall massacre those greedy minded slaues And when their scattered armie is subdu'd And you march on their slaughtered carkasses Share equally the gold that bought their liues And liue like Gentlemen in Persea Strike vp the Drum and martch corragiously Fortune her selfe dooth sit vpon our Crests Myc. He tels you true my maisters so he does Drumis why sound ye not whē Meand. speakis Exeunt Actus 2. Scaena 3. Cosroe Tamburlaine Theridamas Techelles Vsumeasane Ortygius with others Cosroe NOw worthy Tamburlaine haue I reposde In thy approoued Fortunes all my hope What thinkst thou man shal come of our attemptes For euen as from assured oracle I take thy doome for satisfaction Tamb. And so mistake you not a whit my Lord For Fates and Oracles heauen haue sworne To roialise the deedes of tamburlaine And make them blest that share in his attemptes And doubt you not but if you fauour me And let my Fortunes and my valour sway To some direction in your martiall deeds The world will striue with hostes of men at armes To swarme vnto the Ensigne I support The host of Xerxes which by fame is said To drinke the mightie Parthian Araris Was but a handful to that we will haue Our quiuering Lances shaking in the aire And bullets like Ioues dreadfull Thunderbolts Enrolde in flames and fiery smoldering mistes Shall threat the Gods more than Cyclopian warres And with our Sun-bright armour as we march Wee l chase the Stars from heauen and dim their eies That stand and muse at our admyred armes therid. You see my Lord what woorking woordes he hath But when you see his actions stop his speech Your speech will stay or so extol his worth As I shall be commended and excusde For turning my poore charge to his direction And these his two renowmed friends my Lord Would make one thrust and striue to be retain'd In such a great degree of amitie tech.
doubt not but the Gouernour will yeeld Offering Damascus to your Maiesty Tam. So shall he haue his life and all the rest But if he stay vntil the bloody flag Be once aduanc'd on my vermilion Tent He dies and those that kept vs out so long And when they see me march in black aray With mournfull streamers hanging down their heads Were in that citie all the world contain'd Not one should scape but perish by our swords zen. Yet would you haue some pitie for my sake Because it is my countries and my Fathers Tam. Not for the world Zenocrate if I haue sworn Come bring in the Turke Exeunt Act. 4. Scaena 3 Souldane Arabia Capoline with steaming collor and Souldiers Souldan ME thinks we martch as Meliager did Enuironed with braue Argolian knightes To chace the sauage Caldonian Boare Or Cephalus with lustie The bane youths Against the Woolfe that angrie Themis sent To waste and spoile the sweet Aonian fieldes A monster of fiue hundred thousand heades Compact of Rapine Pyracie and spoile The Scum of men the hate and Scourge of God Raues in Egyptia and annoyeth vs My Lord it is the bloody Tamburlaine A sturdy Felon and a base-bred Thiefe By murder raised to the Persean Crowne That dares controll vs in our Territories To tame the pride of this presumptuous Beast Ioine your Arabians with the Souldans power Let vs vnite our royall bandes in one And hasten to remooue Damascus siege It is a blemish to the Maiestie And high estate of mightie Emperours That such a base vsurping vagabond Should braue a king or weare a princely crowne Ara. Renowmed Souldane haue ye lately heard The ouerthrow of mightie Baiazeth About the confines of Bythinia The slauerie wherewith he persecutes The noble Turke and his great Emperesse Soul I haue and sorrow for his bad successe But noble Lord of great Arabia Be so perswaded that the Souldan is No more dismaide with tidings of his fall Than in the hauen when the Pilot stands And viewes a strangers ship rent in the winds And shiuered against a craggie rocke Yet in compassion of his wretched state A sacred vow to heauen and him I make Confirming it with lbis holy name That Tamburlaine shall rue the day the hower Wherein he wrought such ignominious wrong Vnto the hallowed person of a prince Or kept the faire zenocrate so long As Concubine I feare to feed his lust Ara. Let griefe and furie hasten on reuenge Let Tamburlaine for his offences feele Such plagues as heauen and we can poure on him I long to breake my speare vpon his crest And prooue the waight of his victorious arme For Fame I feare hath bene too prodigall In sounding through the world his partiall praise Soul Capolin hast thou suruaid our powers Cap. Great Emperours of Egypt and Arabia The number of your hostes vnited is A hundred and fifty thousand horse Two hundred thousand foot braue men at armes Couragious and full of hardinesse As frolike as the hunters in the chace Of sauage beastes amid the desart woods Arab. My mind presageth fortunate successe And tamburlaine my spirit doth foresee The vtter ruine of thy men and thee Soul Then reare your standardes let your sounding Drummes Direct our Souldiers to Damascus walles Now Tamburlaine the mightie Souldane comes And leads with him the great Arabian King To dim thy basenesse and obscurity Famous for nothing but for theft and spoile To race and scatter thy inglorious crue Of Scythians and slauish Persians Exeunt Actus 4. Scaena 5. The Banquet and to it commeth Tamburlain al in scarlet Theridamas Techelles Vsumeasane the Turke with others Tamb. NOw hang our bloody collours by Damascus Reflexing hewes of blood vpon their heads While they walke quiuering on their citie walles Halfe dead for feare before they feele my wrath Then let vs freely banquet and carouse Full bowles of wine vnto the God of war That meanes to fill your helmets full of golde And make Damascus spoiles as rich to you As was to Iason Colchos golden fleece And now Baiazeth hast thou any stomacke Bai. I such a stomacke cruel tamburlane as I could Willingly feed vpon thy blood-raw hart tam. Nay thine owne is easier to come by plucke out that And t wil serue thee and thy wife Wel zenocrate techelles and the rest fall to your victuals Bai. Fall to and neuer may your meat digest Ye Furies that can maske inuisible Diue to the bottome of Auernas poole And in your hands bring hellish poison vp And squease it in the cup of tamburlain Or winged snakes of Lerna cast your stings And leaue your venoms in this Tyrants dish zab. And may this banquet prooue as omenous As Prognes to th' adulterous Thracian King That fed vpon the substance of his child zen. My Lord how can you suffer these outragious curses By these slaues of yours tam. To let them see diuine zenocrate I glorie in the curses of my foes Hauing the power frō the Emperiall heauen To turne them al vpon their proper heades tech. I pray you giue them leaue Madam this speech is a goodly refreshing to them Ther. But if his highnesse would let them be fed it would doe them more good tam. Sirra why fall you not too are you so daintily brought vp you cannot eat your owne flesh Bai. First legions of deuils shall teare thee in peeces Vsum. Villain knowest thou to whom thou speakest tam. O let him alone here eat sir take it from my swords point or I le thrust it to thy heart He takes it and stamps vpon it ther He stamps it vnder his feet my Lord tam. Take it vp Villaine and eat it or I will make thee slice the brawnes of thy armes into carbonadoes and eat them vsu. Nay t were better he kild his wife then she shall be sure not to be staru'd he be prouided for a moneths victuall before hand tam. Here is my dagger dispatch her while she is fat for if she liue but a while longer shee will fall into a comsumption with freatting and then she will not bee woorth the eating ther. Doost thou think that Mahomet wil suffer this tech. T is like he wil when he cannot let it tam. Go to fal to your meat what not a bit belike he hath not bene watered to day giue him some drinke They giue him water to drinke and he flings it on the ground Faste and welcome sir while hunger make you eat How now zenocrate dooth not the Turke and his wife make a goodly showe at a banquet Zen. Yes my Lord ther Me thinks t is a great deale better than a consort of musicke tam. Yet musicke woulde doe well to cheere vp zenocrate pray thee tel why art thou so sad If thou wilt haue a song the Turke shall straine his voice but why is it Zen. My lord to see my fathers towne besieg'd The countrie wasted where my selfe was borne How can it but afflict my verie soule If any loue remaine
is often proou'd a myracle Orc. Yet in my thoughts shall Christ be honoured Not dooing Mahomet an iniurie Whose power had share in this our victory And since this miscreant hath disgrac'd his faith And died a traitor both to heauen and earth We wil both watch and ward shall keepe his trunke Amidst these plaines for Foules to pray vpon Go Vribassa giue it straight in charge Vri. I will my Lord Exit Vrib. Orc. And now Gazellus let vs haste and meete Our Army and our brother of Ierusalem Of Soria Trebizon and Amasia And happily with full Natolian bowles Of Greekish wine now let vs celebrate Our happy conquest and his angry fate Exeunt Actus 2. Scaena vltima The Arras is drawen and Zenocrate lies in her bed of state Tamburlaine sitting by her three Phisitians about her bed tempering potions Theridamas Techelles Vsumeasane and the three sonnes Tamburlaine BLacke is the beauty of the brightest day The golden balle of heauens eternal fire That danc'd with glorie on the siluer waues Now wants the fewell that enflamde his beames And all with faintnesse and for foule disgrace He bindes his temples with a frowning cloude Ready to darken earth with endlesse night Zenocrate that gaue him light and life Whose eies shot fire from their Iuory bowers And tempered euery soule with liuely heat Now by the malice of the angry Skies Whose iealousie admits no second Mate Drawes in the comfort of her latest breath All dasled with the hellish mists of death Now walk the angels on the walles of heauen As Centinels to warne th' immortall soules To entertaine deuine Zenocrate Apollo Cynthia and the ceaslesse lamps That gently look'd vpon this loathsome earth Shine downwards now no more but deck the heauens To entertaine diuine Zenocrate The christall springs whose taste illuminates Refined eies with an eternall sight Like tried siluer runs through Paradice To entertaine diuine zenocrate The Cherubins and holy Seraphins That sing and play before the king of kings We all their voices and their instruments To entertaine diuine Zenocrate And in this sweet and currious harmony The God that tunes this musicke to our soules Holds out his hand in highest maiesty To entertaine diuine Zenocrate Then let some holy trance conuay my thoughts Vp to the pallace of th' imperiall heauen That this my life may be as short to me As are the daies of sweet Zenocrate Phisitions wil no phisicke do her good Phis. My Lord your Maiesty shall soone perceiue And if she passe this fit the worst is past tam. Tell me how fares my faire Zenocrate zen. I fare my Lord as other Emperesses That when this fraile and transitory flesh Hath suckt the measure of that vitall aire That feeds the body with his dated health Wanes with enforst and necessary change tam. May neuer such a change transfourme my loue In whose sweet being I repose my life Whose heauenly presence beautified with health Giues light to Phoebus and the fixed stars Whose absence make the sun and Moone as darke As when opposde in one Diamiter Their Spheares are mounted on the serpents head Or els discended to his winding traine Liue still my Loue and so conserue my life Or dieng be the anchor of my death zen. Liue still my Lord O let my soueraigne liue And sooner let the fiery Element Dissolue and make your kingdome in the Sky Than this base earth should shroud your maiesty For should I but suspect your death by mine The comfort of my future happinesse And hope to meet your highnesse in the heauens Turn'd to dispaire would break my wretched breast And furie would confound my present rest But let me die my Loue yet let me die With loue and patience let your true loue die Your griefe and furie hurtes my second life Yet let me kisse my Lord before I die And let me die with kissing of my Lord But since my life is lengthened yet a while Let me take leaue of these my louing sonnes And of my Lords whose true nobilitie Haue merited my latest memorie Sweet sons farewell in death resemble me And in your liues your fathers excellency Some musicke and my fit wil cease my Lord They call musicke tam. Proud furie and intollorable fit That dares torment the body of my Loue And scourge the Scourge of the immortall God Now are those Spheares where Cupid vsde to sit Wounding the world with woonder and with loue Sadly supplied with pale and ghastly death Whose darts do pierce the Center of my soule Her sacred beauty hath enchaunted heauen And had she liu'd before the siege of Troy Hellen whose beauty sommond Greece to armes And drew a thousand ships to Tenedos Had not bene nam'd in Homers Iliads Her name had bene in euery line he wrote Or had those wanton Poets for whose byrth Olde Rome was proud but gasde a while on her Nor Lesbia nor Corrinna had bene nam'd zenocrate had bene the argument Of euery Epigram or Eligie The musicke sounds and she dies tam. What is she dead Techelles draw thy sword And wound the earth that it may cleaue in twaine And we discend into th' infernall vaults To haile the fatall Sisters by the haire And throw them in the triple more of Hell For taking hence my faire zenocrate Casane and theridamas to armes Raise Caualieros higher than the cloudes And with the cannon breake the frame of heauen Batter the shining pallace of the Sun And shiuer all the starry firmament For amorous Ioue hath snatcht my loue from hence Meaning to make her stately Queene of heauen What God so euer holds thee in his armes Giuing thee Nectar and Ambrosia Behold me here diuine zenocrate Rauing impatient desperate and mad Breaking my steeled lance with which I burst The rusty beames of Ianus Temple doores Letting out death and tyrannising war To martch with me vnder this bloody flag And if thou pitiest Tamburlain the great Come downe from heauen and liue with me againe ther. Ah good my Lord be patient she is dead And all this raging cannot make her liue If woords might serue our voice hath rent the aire If teares our eies haue watered all the earth If griefe our murthered harts haue straind forth blood Nothing preuailes for she is dead my Lord tam. For she is dead thy words doo pierce my soule Ah sweet theridamas say so no more Though she be dead yet let me think she liues And feed my mind that dies for want of her Where ere her soule be thou shalt stay with me Embalm'd with Cassia Amber Greece and Myrre Not lapt in lead but in a sheet of gold And till I die thou shalt not be interrd Then in as rich a tombe as Mausolus We both will rest and haue one Epitaph Writ in as many seuerall languages As I haue conquered kingdomes with my sword This cursed towne will I consume with fire Because this place bereft me of my Loue The houses burnt wil looke as if they mourn'd And here will I
wil neuer yeeld Alarme and they scale the walles Enter Tamburlain with Vsumeasane Amyras and Celebinus with others the two spare kings Tam. The stately buildings of faire Babylon Whose lofty Pillers higher than the cloudes Were woont to guide the seaman in the deepe Being caried thither by the cannons force Now fil the mouth of Limnasphaltes lake And make a bridge vnto the battered walles Where Belus Ninus and great Alexander Haue rode in triumph triumphs Tamburlaine Whose chariot wheeles haue burst th' Assirians bones Drawen with these kings on heaps of carkasses Now in the place where faire Semiramis Courted by kings and peeres of Asia Hath trode the Meisures do my souldiers martch And in the streets where braue Assirian Dames Haue rid in pompe like rich Saturnia With furious words and frowning visages My horsmen brandish their vnruly blades Enter Theridamas and Techelles bringing the Gouernor of Babylon Who haue ye there my Lordes Ther. The sturdy Gouernour of Babylon That made vs all the labour for the towne And vsde such slender reckning of you maiesty tam. Go bind the villaine he shall hang in chaines Vpon the ruines of this conquered towne Sirha the view of our vermillion tents Which threatned more than if the region Next vnderneath the Element of fire Were full of Commets and of blazing stars Whose flaming traines should reach down to the earth Could not affright you no nor I my selfe The wrathfull messenger of mighty Ioue That with his sword hath quail'd all earthly kings Could not perswadé you to submission But stil the ports were shut villaine I say Should I but touch the rusty gates of hell The triple headed Cerberus would howle And wake blacke Ioue to crouch and kneele to me But I haue sent volleies of shot to you Yet could not enter till the breach was made Gou. Nor if my body could haue stopt the breach Shouldst thou haue entred cruel tamburlaine T is not thy bloody tents can make me yeeld Nor yet thy selfe thè anger of the highest For though thy cannon shooke the citie walles My heart did neuer quake or corrage faint tam. Wel now I le make it quake go draw him vp Hang him vp in chaines vpon the citie walles And let my souldiers shoot the slaue to death Gouern. Vile monster borne of some infernal hag And sent from hell to tyrannise on earth Do all thy wurst nor death nor Tamburlaine Torture or paine can daunt my dreadlesse minde tam. Vp with him then his body shal be scard Gou But Tamburlain in Lymnasphaltis lake There lies more gold than Babylon is worth Which when the citie was besieg'd I hid Saue but my life and I wil giue it thee tam. Then for all your valour you would saue your life Where about lies it Gou. Vnder a hollow bank right opposite Against the Westerne gate of Babylon tam Go thither some of you and take his gold The rest forward with execution Away with him hence let him speake no more I think I make your courage something quaile When this is done we 'll martch from Babylon And make our greatest haste to Persea These Iades are broken winded and halfe tyr'd Vnharnesse them and let me haue fresh horse So now their best is done to honour me Take them and hang them both vp presently Tre. Vild Tyrant barbarous bloody Tamburlain Tamb. Take them away Theridamas see them dispatcht Ther I will my Lord tam. Come Asian Viceroies to your taskes a while And take such fortune as your fellowes felt Orc. First let thy Scythyan horse teare both our limmes Rather then we should draw thy chariot And like base slaues abiect our princely mindes To vile and ignominious seruitude Ier. Rather lend me thy weapon Tamburlain That I may sheath it in this breast of mine A thousand deathes could not torment our hearts More than the thought of this dooth vexe our soules Amy. They will talk still my Lord if you doe not bridle them tam. Bridle them and let me to my coach They bridle them Amy. See now my Lord how braue the Captaine hangs tam. T is braue indeed my boy wel done Shoot first my Lord and then the rest shall follow ther. Then haue at him to begin withall Theridamas shootes Gou Yet saue my life and let this wound appease The mortall furie of great Tamburlain tam. No though Asphaltis lake were liquid gold And offer'd me as ransome for thy life Yet shouldst thou die shoot at him all at once They shoote So now he hangs like Bagdets Gouernour Hauing as many bullets in his flesh As there be breaches in her battered wall Goe now and bind the Burghers hand and foot And cast them headlong in the cities lake Tartars and Perseans shall inhabit there And to command the citie I will build A Cytadell that all Affrica Which hath bene subiect to the Persean king Shall pay me tribute for in Babylon tech. What shal be done with their wiues and children my Lord tam, Techelles Drowne them all man woman and child Leaue not a Babylonian in the towne tech I will about it straight come Souldiers Exit tam. Now Casane wher 's the Turkish Alcaron And all the heapes of supersticious bookes Found in the Temples of that Mahomet Whom I haue thought a God they shal be burnt Cas. Here they are my Lord tam. Wel said let there be a fire presently In vaine I see men worship Mahomet My sword hath sent millions of Turks to hell Slew all his Priests his kinsmen and his friends And yet I liue vntoucht by Mahomet There is a God full of reuenging wrath From whom the thunder and the lightning breaks Whose Scourge I am and him will I obey So Casane fling them in the fire Now Mahomet if thou haue any power Come downe thy selfe and worke a myracle Thou art not woorthy to be worshipped That suffers flames of fire to burne the writ Wherein the sum of thy religion rests Why send'st thou not a furious whyrlwind downe To blow thy Alcaron vp to thy throne Where men report thou sitt'st by God himselfe Or vengeance on the head of Tamburlain That shakes his sword against thy maiesty And spurns the Abstracts of thy foolish lawes Wel souldiers Mahomet remaines in hell He cannot heare the voice of Tamburlain Seeke out another Godhead to adore The God that sits in heauen if any God For he is God alone and none but he tech. I haue fulfil'd your highnes wil my Lord Thousands of men drown'd in Asphaltis Lake Haue made the water swell aboue the bankes And fishes feed by humaine carkasses Amasde swim vp and downe vpon the waues As when they swallow Assafitida Which makes them fleet aloft and gaspe for aire tam. Wel then my friendly Lordes what now remaines But that we leaue sufficient garrison And presently depart to Persea To triumph after all our victories ther. I good my Lord let vs in hast to Persea And let this Captaine be remoou'd the walles To some
those whose Chrisis is as yours Your Artiers which alongst the vaines conuey The liuely spirits which the heart ingenders Are partcht and void of spirit that the soule Wanting those Organnons by which it mooues Can not indure by argument of art Yet if your maiesty may escape this day No doubt but you shal soone recouer all tam. Then will I comfort all my vital parts And liue in spight of death aboue a day Alarme within Mess. My Lord yong Callapine that lately fled from your maiesty hath nowe gathered a fresh Armie and hearing your absence in the field offers to set vpon vs presently Tam. See my Phisitions now how Ioue hath sent A present medicince to recure my paine My looks shall make them flie and might I follow There should not one of all the villaines power Liue to giue offer of another fight Vsum. I ioy my Lord your highnesse is so strong That can endure so well your royall presence Which onely will dismay the enemy Tam. I know it wil Casane draw you slaues In spight of death I will goe show my face Alarme Tam. goes in and comes out againe with al the rest Thus are the villaines cowards fled for feare Like Summers vapours vanisht by the Sun And could I but a while pursue the field That Callapine should be my slaue againe But I perceiue my martial strength is spent In vaine I striue and raile against those powers That meane t' inuest me in a higher throne As much too high for this disdainfull earth Giue me a Map then let me see how much Is left for me to conquer all the world That these my boies may finish all my wantes One brings a Map Here I began to martch towards Persea Along Armenia and the Caspian sea And thence vnto Bythinia where I tooke The Turke and his great Empresse priseners Then martcht I into Egypt and Arabia And here not far from Alexandria Whereas the Terren and the red sea meet Being distant lesse than stil a hundred leagues I meant to cut a channell to them both That men might quickly saile to India From thence to Nubia neere Borno Lake And so along the Ethiopian sea Cutting the Tropicke line of Capricorne I conquered all as far as Zansibar Then by the Northerne part of Affrica I came at last to Graecia and from thence To Asia where I stay against my will Which is from Scythia where I first began Backeward and forwards nere fiue thousand leagues Looke here my boies see what a world of ground Lies westward from the midst of Cancers line Vnto the rising of this earthly globe Whereas the Sun declining from our sight Begins the day with our Antypodes And shall I die and this vnconquered Loe here my sonnes are all the golden Mines Inestimable drugs and precious stones More worth than Asia and the world beside And from th' Antartique Pole Eastward behold As much more land which neuer was descried Wherein are rockes of Pearle that shine as bright As all the Lamps that beautifie the Sky And shal I die and this vnconquered Here louely boies what death forbids my life That let your liues commaund in spight of death Amy. Alas my Lord how should our bleeding harts Wounded and broken with your Highnesse griefe Retaine a thought of ioy or sparke of life Your soul giues essence to our wretched subiects Whose matter is incorporoat in your flesh Cel. Your paines do pierce our soules no hope suruiues For by your life we entertaine our liues tam. But sons this subiect not of force enough To hold the fiery spirit it containes must part imparting his impressions By equall portions into both your breasts My flesh deuided in your precious shapes Shal still retaine my spirit though I die And liue in all your seedes immortally Then now remooue me that I may resigne My place and proper tytle to my sonne First take my Scourge and my imperiall Crowne And mount my royall chariot of estate That I may see thee crown'd before I die Help me my Lords to make my last remooue ther. A woful change my Lord that daunts our thoughts More than the ruine of our proper soules tam. Sit vp my sonne let me see how well Thou wilt become thy fathers maiestie They crowne him Ami With what a flinty bosome should I ioy The breath of life and burthen of my soule If not resolu'd into resolued paines My bodies mortified lineaments should exercise the motions of my heart Pierc'd with the ioy of any dignity O father if the vnrelenting eares Of death and hell be shut against my praiers And that the spightfull influence of heauen Denie my soule fruition of her ioy How should I step or stir my hatefull feete Against the inward powers of my heart Leading a life that onely striues to die And plead in vaine vnpleasing soueranity tam. Let not thy loue exceed thyne honor sonne Nor bar thy mind that magnanimitie That nobly must admit necessity Sit vp my boy and with those silken raines Bridle the steeled stomackes of those Iades ther. My Lord you must obey his maiesty Since Fate commands and proud necessity Amy. Heauens witnes me with what a broken hart And damned spirit I ascend this seat And send my soule before my father die His anguish and his burning agony tam. Now fetch the hearse of faire Zenocrate Let it be plac'd by this my fatall chaire And serue as parcell of my funerall Cas. Then feeles your maiesty no soueraigne ease Nor may our hearts all drown'd in teares of blood Ioy any hope of your recouery tamb. Casane no the Monarke of the earth And eielesse Monster that torments my soule Cannot behold the teares ye shed for me And therefore stil augments his cruelty tech. Then let some God oppose his holy power Against the wrath and tyranny of death That his teare-thyrsty and vnquenched hate May be vpon himselfe reuerberate They bring in the hearse tam Now eies inioy your latest benefite And when my soule hath vertue of your sight Pierce through the coffin and the sheet of gold And glut your longings with a heauen of ioy So raigne my sonne scourge and controlle those slaues Guiding thy chariot with thy Fathers hand As precious is the charge thou vndertak'st As that which Clymens brainsicke sonne did guide When wandring Phoebes Iuory cheeks were scortcht And all the earth like AEtna breathing fire Be warn'd by him then learne with awfull eie To sway a throane as dangerous as his For if thy body thriue not full of thoughtes As pure and fiery as Phyteus beames The nature of these proud rebelling Iades Wil take occasion by the slenderest haire And draw thee peecemeale like Hyppolitus Through rocks more steepe and sharp than Caspian cliftes The nature of thy chariot wil not beare A guide of baser temper than my selfe More then heauens coach the pride of Phaeton Farewell my boies my dearest friends farewel My body feeles my soule dooth weepe to see Your sweet desires depriu'd my company For Tamburlaine the Scourge of God must die Amy. Meet heauen earth here let al things end For earth hath spent the pride of all her fruit And heauen consum'd his choisest liuing fire Let earth and heauen his timelesse death deplore For both their woorths wil equall him no more FINIS